GC 2007: Mafia II Trailer Impressions

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The German mafia is on the prowl.

By Erik Brudvig

Out in the insanity that is the public show floor of the Leipzig Games Convention, 2K Games has constructed a small amphitheatre for its world premiere of Mafia II. We took the opportunity to step in on this brief trailer to see what the fuss was all about. What we found was a sharp looking game packed to the brim with stereotypically Italian mafia characters wielding guns. Unfortunately for us, these guys must have been that special German type of Italian mafia as they spoke the language of this host country throughout the trailer.

While we couldn't gather much as far as plot goes, that didn't stop us from paying close attention to the on-screen visuals. The trailer begins outside on the streets as cars and trains zip by. The action then moves into a restaurant where we were treated to a nice close-up of the excellent character models. We can't be sure whether everything we saw was using the game's engine or not, but if it is this game is going to be a treat for the eyes. The faces, particularly the animations, were a treat. The necktie on the first character we zoomed in on looked almost real.

After a calm, dinner table discussion where we can only guess at what was said, the trailer moved into a montage of what the game is all about; action. Gunshots, mafia style executions, and more guns being put to use interspersed with some words we couldn't understand filled up the majority of the latter half of the trailer. The ending, though, was a memorable one. After a brief chat inside of a car, with one guy chugging alcohol in the backseat, the camera flashed outside. There, the group was looking down at the camera that was placed inside of the now open trunk of a car. Cringes shuddered through the crowd, the trunk was slammed, and then the trailer ended.